Matt Smith - IMDb IMDb Actor | Soundtrack | Director Matt Smith is an English actor who shot to fame in the UK aged 26 when he was cast by producer Steven Moffat as the Eleventh Doctor in the BBC's iconic science-fiction adventure series Doctor Who (2005). Matthew Robert Smith was born and raised in Northampton, the son of Lynne (Fidler) and David Smith. He was educated at Northampton School For Boys... See full bio » Born: Why Matt Smith is the greatest Doctor Who actor of all time - Matt Goddard - Mirror Online Matt Smith makes his Doctor Who exit on Christmas Day (Photo: BBC) Share Get celebs updates directly to your inbox + Subscribe Thank you for subscribing! Could not subscribe, try again laterInvalid Email Calling Number 11, come in Doctor 11. No, that’s Eccleston, he’s already gone. Calling 13, unlucky 13 – your time is up. On Christmas day, exactly 3 years and 51 weeks after we first met him, Doctor number 13 will meet his end , facing off against his best worst enemies and solving that tricky regeneration conundrum in a one hour festive special of the sci-fi series .

It’s not easy being number 13, especially when you’re the youngest actor ever to take on the part and there’s 50 years of history to live up to. So, does Matt Smith , TARDIS key in hand, win or lose in the great Fight of the Doctors? Judged on the key elements, does this Doctor walk in eternity or get sucked into the Eye of Harmony? Well, to start with let’s just call him the Eleventh Doctor... 1. The Beginning He had to live up to David Tennant’s Tenth Doctor, with a new production crew, companion, ship and sonic. It was a big ask for the then little-known actor... Video Loading Click to play Tap to play The video will start in 8Cancel Play now Worst: Custard It helped that The End of Time, sat pretty in the schedules on New Year’s Day 2010, wasn’t exactly a classic. But the only bad thing that can be said about Smith’s emergence from the regeneration is that it seems ever so slightly un-Eleventh Doctor. Given that he was regenerating... Geronimo!

Best: Fish Fingers Simply put, Smith’s first story The Eleventh Hour is the greatest regeneration debut in Doctor Who history. It’s not a long list of classics, but it knocks the Third Doctor’s Quatermass-style arrival in Spearhead from Space and The Tenth Doctor’s The Christmas Invasion into a cocked fez. From fish fingers and custard to Patrick Moore jokes to the Doctors glorious ‘arrival’ at the end, it’s sheer class. Verdict: A definite WIN. A great opening story that showcased the prodigious talent the show had lucked in. Let’s not talk about follow-up, The Beast Below... 2. Costume Like it or not, it’s a defining factor of any Doctor and one that has to be got right - although it’s a rare Doctor who doesn’t do some washing during his lifetime. For the Eleventh, the tweed was all very good and practical - and it was certainly something that Matt Smith felt more comfortable in than his almost-so-nearly pirate outfit. During his travels he managed to carry off the Fourth Doctor’s scarf and perpetuate a running joke about headwear – although the fez remained his favourite. But did he cut the sartorial mustard?

Matt Smith made the bow tie cool (Photo: BBC) Worst: Ill-fitting clothes The tweed industry has done wonders from that first costume, not bad considering where he got it. But to my mind, he only really carried it off with the specs, slicked hair and air of academia he carried in some scenes. Whether James Joyce-ing around in the TARDIS or sitting in Central Park. Unfortunately, the overly washed colour palette of Series Five didn’t quite do it or him justice. Best: Top togs It was when he got his mope on, living in fairytale clouds above Victorian London, that things really fell into place. Many Doctors have slipped back to Victorian or Edwardian get-up, including the original. Bizarrely the Name of the Doctor showed the First Doctor escaping Gallifrey in his Edwardian garb – good thing he didn’t bump into anyone on the way to the TARDIS workshops... While the stove hat and purple coat ensemble saw Smith really come into his own, special mention must go to the plush green coat that first appeared in Series Six – if any Doctor’s physique could carry off a long coat it was Smith’s gawky frame. And headwear?

Yes, he tried the topper, fez, Stetson... But that he never got a permanent hat is a bit of a shame. The verdict: JURY’S OUT. It improved... But sandwiched between Tennant’s geek chic simplicity and Capaldi’s promise it may have been too little, too late... 3. Comedy Comedy is as crucial to Doctor Who as blue boxes and horror as this list of comedy highlights shows . But with Matt Smith, did we get Chaplin or chump? Video Loading Click to play Tap to play The video will start in 8Cancel Play now Worst: Walk off moments There were moments when it all got too much. Probably the nadir of the Smith tenure was the 2011 Christmas Special the Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe. Narnia, ecology, festive magic - that was all well and good, but devoting so much of the episode to showcasing Matt Smith’s verbal tics as he showed the family around their house was far too much. It was when Smith’s physical acting style became a danger to the balance of the scripts.

Best: Carry On Doctor There were moments, just some moments, when the Eleventh Doctor gave us the funniest moments seen on television in years. The show was lucky to have a consummate physical actor, that’s not in doubt. When it came to Rory’s stag do in Series Five, you could imagine a few of the other Doctors bursting from that cake, but none bringing Smith’s impeccable performance. Two seasons later in Hide, Smith turned a simple trek around a (possibly) haunted house into a comic masterpiece. Verdict: WIN. Not since Patrick Troughton has there been a finer physically comic actor in the role. We’ll need to recover some more of that Doctor's missing episodes to make a clear comparison... 4. TARDIS control It’s the Doctor’s longest standing companion and in Series Six we found out that she is his real wife. How has Smith managed the show’s most important relationship? Video Loading Click to play Tap to play The video will start in 8Cancel Play now Worst: For Poorer He had a problem to begin with. He walked into the largest console room since the huge desktop that the Seventh Doctor loaded in his latter years (1996’s TV Movie).

While it was a feat of design (and it had a lobby!), it was garish and bright, sometimes undermining the subtlety of Smith’s performance. Worst of all though, despite River Song showing him up, he was by far the best Doctor at piloting the TARDIS. Apart from a few considerable exceptions (The Eleventh Hour) he darted across time and space with a precision like seldom before. What happened to the element of chance, Doctor? Best: For Richer The mercurial 11th Doctor needed a little more stability than his first console room gave him. He found it last Christmas. The current rounded, green-lit interior console room is arguably the greatest TARDIS set– complete with rotating Gallifreyan runes (a helicopter with too many stairs as Sylvester McCoy called it in The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot). It’s a great fit for Smith’s take on the Time Lord. During his time, Smith’s Doctor may have interacted with the TARDIS more than any other, even taken us on a trip to its centre, but his greatest moment with the TARDIS? The sublime Doctor’s Wife, simple. Verdict: JURY’S OUT.

He was one of the few to change the TARDIS desktop mid-lifetime (although not for 200 years). While he was just a little too accurate, there are few better moments than when the Eleventh said farewell to Idris... But I doubt he’ll take the TARDIS with him when he goes like the Tenth did. 5. Regenerative issues It’s not exactly new. Since 1966, Doctors have had to tussle with the tricky business of regeneration. Some came off a bit limply, like Peter Davison’s first adventure Castrovalva and David Tennant’s bed-ridden first appearance in the Christmas invasion. Then again, the Sixth Doctor regenerated falling off an exercise bike. A fall that even Bonnie Langford survived (sorry – spoilers). But the revival has brought more regenerations than ever – and not all of them good... Video Loading Click to play Tap to play The video will start in 8Cancel Play now Best: Stand back It’s slightly undermined by the Tenth Doctor’s false regeneration at the end of Series Four, but now the Time of the Doctor looks set to legitimate that further the Eleventh Doctor has a whole season to shake a head at.

The skeleton promos and behind the scenes marketing-spiel didn’t help during Series Six... And while Smith’s acting during that Utah regeneration in series opener The Impossible Astronaut is superb, the resolution of the story isn’t. Add onto that constantly over-used regenerative energy and some danger was inevitably robbed from Smith’s performance. Worst: Run away The Eleventh’s end game is longer even than the Tenth’s... We’ll have to wait for the proper one on Christmas Day. But, as the recent departures of Eccleston, Tennant and McGann have shown, it sometimes comes down to the last words. If only we’d known he was at the end of his regenerative cycle earlier on in this Doctor’s story. Verdict: LOSE. We’ll have to wait and see, but so far it’s been a bit dodgy, this process... 6. Absent friends The Eleventh Doctor may not have surrounded himself with friends in the same way his predecessor did, but Matt Smith had his fair share of relationships to contend with.

Video Loading Click to play Tap to play The video will start in 8Cancel Play now Worst: Living, bubbling lumps of hate He might have surpassed the Tenth Doctor in romantic entanglements and he’s the second Doctor to get married that we know of. But sad as it is, he only really had the Ponds to bid farewell to in the TARDIS. A lot of the time, Rory just wouldn’t stop dying, and there wasn’t much Smith could do about that. The Eleventh Doctor’s last interaction with River in The Name of the Doctor defied all logic and could never compete with the Tenth Doctor’s actual farewell to her in Series Four’s Forest of the Dead. And in the end the Ponds, well, they kind of lived happily ever after didn’t they? Unbreak those hearts. Best: Splendid chaps Taking away his brief moment with Idris, there was one particularly telling scene - the farewell to Brigadier Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart. A simple phone call in a Stetson and a rare moment when Smith could play with remorse that echoed through the ages. It made it all the better when he later formed a new UNIT family with the Brigadier’s daughter.

The Verdict: LOSE. Smith never got as many of those Rose/Donna/The Waters of Mars moments that Tennant was handed. In fact, his Doctor is almost always more upset about how upset he is. A shame he really is that Doctor who hates goodbyes the most, because he could have been the best. 7. Enemies While a man can be judged by the quality of his enemies, the might-be-last of the Time Lords is defined by them. Matt Smith met all the classics, including some revivals. He also heralded in a new wave of monsters, many from the same dark imagination that brought us Clockwork Droids and Weeping Angels. Yes, Steven Moffat chucked the lot at the Eleventh Doctor, but did they stick? Video Loading Click to play Tap to play The video will start in 8Cancel Play now Best: Abzorba-lovely Of the new frights, the Silence was effective, although their story is yet to reach fruition. The big winners were the Weeping Angels who really came into their own against Smith. Something about his younger, more time-sensitive portrayal really worked with their agenda. He also had his fair share of bombast.

The Pandorica Opens concluded a series worth of build-up in 2010. That Series Five mid-finale cliff-hanger was immense, with the Doctor finally caught by his major foes. And before that came THAT speech mirroring his exultant arrival in The Eleventh Hour. Worst: Abzorba-lacking But then, good as he was, he just kept doing it - The Triumphant Doctor. It wore thin quickly, to the point that the Doctor to the chance to erase himself from history. Neil Gaiman rather simply and brilliantly ripped that apart in Nightmare in Silver. “You know you could be reconstructed by the hole you left” says the Cyber-Controller Doctor. “Good point. I'll do something about that” replies the Doctor. Other than that, his Dalek duels haven’t been outstanding and his Cybermen conflicts a little underwhelming. The New Dalek Paradigm was almost immediately introduced and then rather embarrassingly phased out. As for the Silurians... Well it’s nice to have them back, but their introduction was a rather uninspiring retread of their original 1970 appearance, with a few less eyes. Verdict: LOSE.

The need for the new and the rumbling River Song plot undermined the old foes a little. The Doctor’s book of nemeses may be quite a bit larger after the Eleventh Doctor, but Matt Smith rarely got to take on a classic foe at full strength. Oh, for a chinwag with Davros. Disappointing. 8. Specials and endings Few Doctors have had a run of specials that competes with David Tennant’s 10th Doctor, notching up seven feature length episodes outside his series. Smith does match Tennant on series finales however, and beating the anniversary-like Journey’s End would take some doing. Like the first five Doctors, the Eleventh managed to hit a major anniversary, and like his predecessor he’s bowing out in a special episode... But how did he fair? Video Loading Watch Next Worst: Dimensions in Time Of the Christmas Specials, the clear loser is The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe. An attempt at a smaller story, it was not only overly sugared, but gave Smith the unfortunate look of ‘over-acting’. The worst cases however, were the series finales.

Twice they involved parallel worlds which may provide excellent excuses for fezes, beards and the Doctor’s death but make for an unsatisfactory plot and over-complicated for Matt Smith to sink his teeth into. If only there’d been that simple plot trail laid throughout a series. There’s the overriding feeling that great confrontations were lost in over-complication. Best: The Time of the Doctor While Matt Smith’s appearance in An Adventure in Time and Space was a little unnecessary, The Day of the Doctor showed him at his best. Sharing the screen with David Tennant, John Hurt and Tom Baker he excelled, showing us that the Eleventh Doctor really is packing his bags too soon. Otherwise, The Snowmen was excellent, eventually providing the Eleventh Doctor with a well poised mystery and rather marvellous foil in Clara. The prize has to A Christmas Carol, however. It may have been his first, but also Smith’s finest Christmas special. A classic tale that gave room the Eleventh Doctor the great breadth of time and Dickens to work in – seldom better. Which Doctor has an unblemished record of season-closers and specials? Verdict: WIN.

The weight of the 50th anniversary can’t be overstated, and after the storming Day of the Doctor Matt Smith’s leaving on a high. But it all comes down to the December 25th this year... We can’t expect every Christmas Special to be a classic but with three series of plot laid down for this one, hopes are exceedingly high. The Results: Unbelievably, it’s a draw with three wins and three loses in the greatest rankings. As so often with modern Doctors, it has to come down to one deciding factor... 9. Catchphrases Well, catchphrases are cool. The fact that I can write that says it all. Video Loading Click to play Tap to play The video will start in 8Cancel Play now Verdict: WIN. So, Smith nabs it. In the glorious history of Whodom, he’s just about the best Doctor. There are doubts, but many of those could have been eased had he stayed a little longer. Who knows... His record may be cemented (or destroyed) by his final battle. A lot rests on that fateful trip to Trenzalore. Let us know how you think Matt Smith matches up to his predecessors by commenting below.

Doctor Who's The Time Of The Doctor will air at 7.30pm on BBC One on Christmas Day. * This article was originally published on December 17 2013 Like us on Facebook Will the BBC Replace Matt Smith? | Slice of SciFi Will the BBC Replace Matt Smith? July 1, 2010 By Mike Hickerson 37 Comments While Matt Smith’s first season as Doctor was a creative triumph for the long-running series, the show didn’t quite deliver the ratings it did during the David Tennant era. That has led some bookies in the UK to offer odds that Smith will be out next season as the Doctor and to post odds on who could take over the role next. Yes, it’s the inevitable who will be the next Doctor story. Here’s the odds: 4/1 David Morrissey 8/1 Next Doctor To Be Female 10/1 Patterson Joseph 50/1 John Barrowman 66/1 Christopher Eccleston Of course, this doesn’t take into account that the BBC signed Smith to a three-year deal when he took over the role of the Doctor.

The series also has a renewal for series six though whether or not we get a series beyond that hasn’t been decided. (Given the ratings for Doctor Who and the audience figures in the UK, it looks good). Also, the viewing figures don’t take into account time shifting and people watching on-line. Apparently this soccer thing is a big deal and people have been watching it instead of Doctor Who. Filed Under: Developing Stories Tagged With: Doctor Who Related Posts Matt Smith introduced as new Doctor Who EMAIL BBC Forget all of those rumors about a black Doctor Who or a female Doctor Who. Announced Saturday (Jan. 3), the BBC’s new Doctor Who is, as usual, a slender white male, albeit somewhat more youthful than usual. Twenty-six-year-old Northampton born Matt Smith was revealed on Saturday as the new Doctor Who, making him the youngest-ever Time Lord. The previous title of Youngest Doctor Who was held by Peter Dawson, who was 29 when he became Doctor Who #5 back in 1981. Smith, who was revealed as part of Saturday’s “Doctor Who Confidential” on BBC One, will replace David Tennant, a popular Doctor Who who took over for Christopher Eccleston in 2005.

“I’m just so excited about the journey that is in front of me,” Smith says in a BBC statement. “It’s a wonderful privilege and challenge that I hope I will thrive on. I feel proud and honoured to have been given this opportunity to join a team of people that has worked so tirelessly to make the show so thrilling.” Tennant formally announced his Doctor exit back in October. He’ll still film four specials through 2009, with the last of the special not airing in the United Kingdom in 2010. Smith, in turn, will begin shooting his first series later this year to also premiere in 2010. “The Doctor is a very special part, and it takes a very special actor to play him,” raves series executive producer Steven Moffat. “You need to be old and young at the same time, a boffin and an action hero, a cheeky schoolboy and the wise old man of the universe. As soon as Matt walked through the door and blew us away with a bold and brand new take on the Time Lord, we knew we had our man.

2010 is a long time away but rest assured the Eleventh Doctor is coming — and the universe has never been so safe.” Smith, likely a unknown for most American viewers, has a extensive stage background in London, as well has a number of British TV credits, including a lead role in BBC Two’s “Party Animals.” His TV background also includes a funny Doctor connection. He made his first TV appearance in “The Ruby in the Smoke” opposite Billie Piper, a former Doctor’s companion. He also reteamed with Piper on the “Ruby” follow-up “The Shadow in the Smoke” and “Secret Diary of a Call Girl.” Until the very last minute, Smith’s name hadn’t really been associated with the role. More conventional candidates included “Viva Blackpool” (and “Basic Instinct 2”) star David Morrissey, “Life on Mars” star Jon Simm or James Nesbitt (“Jekyll”). There had also been strong speculation that Paterson Joseph (“Survivors”) might become the first black Doctor. Check out video of Smith’s announcement: Share This They went cheap! Cheap! Cheap!

By: xina.in.la 01.03.2009 @ 10:47 PM Matt Smith bringing back Flock of Seagulls hair. And the word “flabbergasted.” Look out. London’s always 9 mos. ahead on these sorts of things. By: Van By: joshlasser 01.06.2009 @ 4:17 AM Well, I for one am excited. I don’t know much about Smith, but I’m still excited. Doctor Who: Who will play the 12th Doctor? - BBC News BBC News Doctor Who: Who will play the 12th Doctor? By Tim Masters Entertainment and arts correspondent, BBC News 2 August 2013 Read more about sharing. Close share panel Image caption Will Peter Capaldi, Billie Piper or Chiwetel Ejiofor be the next owner of the Tardis key? Speculation is mounting over who will replace Matt Smith in Doctor Who, with the announcement due on Sunday . Smith, who has played the Time Lord since 2010, announced in June that he would be leaving in this year's Christmas special.

The past few weeks has seen a flurry of newspaper stories guessing at who might take over in the Tardis. Early favourites included Harry Potter star Rupert Grint and Being Human actors Russell Tovey and Damien Molony. As in previous years, some have suggested the role may go to a black actor, with Luther star Idris Elba, Homeland's David Harewood and former rapper Ashley Walters among those mentioned. There have also been calls for a female Doctor, with Billie Piper, Olivia Colman and Dame Helen Mirren on some wish lists. Here are some of the names appearing in the bookmakers' lists of favourites. Peter Capaldi Peter Capaldi has become the late favourite to take over the role of the Time Lord from Matt Smith. The Scots actor, best known as foul-mouthed Malcolm Tucker in The Thick of It, is 6/4 favourite, according to bookmaker William Hill on Friday. Paddy Power has him at 7/4 favourite and Labrokes 11/8. Capaldi played Roman merchant Caecilius in 2008 Doctor Who adventure The Fires of Pompeii.

At 55, as Metro points out , Capaldi is the same age as William Hartnell when he was cast in the role as the first Doctor in 1963. Ben Daniels Midlands-born Ben Daniels has enjoyed a long career in TV and film and on stage. The 49-year-old actor will be familiar to many through his role as Finn Bevan in BBC series Cutting It (2002-2005). Other TV appearances include political thriller The State Within (2006) and ITV drama Law & Order: UK. Daniels won an Laurence Olivier Award in 2001 for his performance in the Arthur Miller play All My Sons. Ladbrokes and Paddy Power give him odds of 4/1, and William Hill 5/1. Chiwetel Ejiofor Chiwetel Ejiofor's career has successfully embraced television, film and theatre. Speaking on the The Andrew Marr Show in 2011 he said he would be interested in the role of the Time Lord if it was offered.

Coming to public attention with his role in Stephen Frears' Dirty Pretty Things in 2002, film roles have included Kinky Boots, Children of Men and American Gangster. Notable TV roles include The Shadow Line and Dancing on the Edge. Ejiofor is currently appearing on stage in A Season In The Congo at London's Young Vic. He won a Laurence Olivier Award for best actor as Othello in 2008. Paddy Power has the 36-year-old actor at 12/1. Idris Elba Idris Elba, star of TV detective series Luther, has said he's "proud" that people have linked him with roles such as Doctor Who and James Bond. He told Newsbeat in July the roles were "national treasures". But the 40-year-old Londoner, who shot to fame as drug lord Stringer Bell in HBO's The Wire, has also said of the idea of playing the Doctor: "I'd look silly in a bow tie." Elba portrays Nelson Mandela in the forthcoming film Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom. Other recent movie roles include Prometheus and Pacific Rim.

Ladbrokes lists Elba at 12/1 while Paddy Power puts him at 25/1. David Harewood Homeland star David Harewood appeared in Doctor Who as Joshua Naismith in David Tennant's final two-part story The End of Time (2009-10). Speaking about being linked with the Doctor role, the 47-year-old actor told Entertainment Weekly : "It's only rumours but it's amazing to be attached to such an iconic role. "It would be extraordinary if the BBC were to make me the first black Doctor Who, it would be extraordinary. But I'm almost scared to make any comment whatsoever." Harewood was appointed an MBE for services to drama in 2011. Ladbrokes has the actor at 10/1, while William Hill has 14/1 and Paddy Power 16/1. Rory Kinnear Rory Kinnear was tipped as an early favourite to replace Matt Smith in the Tardis, but has since ruled himself out of the race. "I haven't been and I am totally certain that I will not be asked to be the next Doctor Who," he told The Independent in July.

On Friday, Paddy Power had Kinnear as its third favourite at 6/1. His best-known big screen role is as MI6 officer Bill Tanner in the recent Bond films. On TV he is in BBC comedy Count Arthur Strong and imminent Channel 4 drama Southcliffe. Kinnear won rave reviews for his Iago (opposite Adrian Lester's Othello) at the National Theatre earlier this year. He has also written his first play, The Herd, which opens at London's Bush Theatre in September. Billie Piper Billie Piper is returning for this November's 50th anniversary Doctor Who special. She played Rose alongside both Christopher Eccleston and David Tennant's Doctors. Piper gained fame as a teenager when her 1998 single Because We Want To went to number one. Her acting career began with a part in BBC period drama The Canterbury Tales in 2003. She went on to star in ITV2's Secret Diary of a Call Girl and the BBC adaptation of Philip Pullman's The Ruby in the Smoke. Piper's most recent stage role was in Lucy Prebble's clinical drugs trial drama The Effect at the National Theatre, for which she earned an Olivier nomination.

Piper is something of an outsider with the bookies. Paddy Power puts her at 33/1. Daniel Rigby Daniel Rigby, according to Ladbrokes, is the biggest mover and shaker in the betting, having been 20/1 a few days ago and now standing at 5/2. Rigby won a Bafta TV award in 2011 for his pitch-perfect portrayal of comedy legend Eric Morecambe in BBC Four biopic Eric and Ernie - beating off competition from Matt Smith (for Doctor Who) and Benedict Cumberbatch (Sherlock). The 30-year-old actor's stage work includes the hit play One Man, Two Guvnors, alongside James Corden, in the West End and on Broadway. Andrew Scott Andrew Scott won a Bafta in 2012 for his role as Jim Moriarty in BBC series Sherlock. The Dublin-born actor told website Flicks and the City in June that it was "flattering" to be mentioned as a potential Doctor. "One has to wait to be asked," he said.

"I know Mr Moffat very well, so he'll keep his cards close to his chest." Scott, whose stage work includes Emperor and Galilean at the National Theatre, is given 8/1 odds by Paddy Power and 10/1 from William Hill. Ben Whishaw Rory Kinnear's fellow Bond actor Ben Whishaw, who played Q in Skyfall, is 6/1 according to Ladbrokes, while William Hill has him at 12/1. Whishaw has also ruled himself out of becoming the next Doctor, telling the Daily Mail: "It's not going to be me. But I don't mind - I don't think you can be Q and Doctor Who. It would be a bit wrong." Whishaw, who appeared in BBC drama The Hour, was last seen onstage opposite Judi Dench in Peter and Alice at the Noel Coward theatre. He has just been announced in the cast of a West End revival of Jez Butterworth's Mojo, which will begin at the Harold Pinter Theatre in October. Doctor Who Live: The Next Doctor, is on BBC One at 7pm on 4 August.

Classic Bond Forum • View topic - Eleventh Doctor Eleventh Doctor by Blowfeld » Fri Jan 02, 2009 10:39 pm Started a new thread for the impending announcement. New Doctor Who to be announced The name of the actor who will replace David Tennant in Doctor Who will be announced on Saturday. Tennant said in October that he would stand down from the show after filming four special episodes in 2009. His replacement - the eleventh Doctor of the TV series - will be revealed in a Doctor Who Confidential programme on BBC One at 1735 on 3 January. The casting was confirmed over Christmas and filming for the 2010 series begins in the summer. Tennant is due to begin shooting the first of his four specials this month, just weeks after surgery on his back. David Tennant says he is envious of his replacement, whose 'life will change' The last of these episodes is expected to run in early 2010. 'Nail-biting Christmas' The casting decision has been a priority for the show's new creative team, led by executive producers Steven Moffat and Piers Wenger.

The BBC said that in Saturday's Doctor Who special "the actor playing the new Doctor will be giving his or her initial reaction" to becoming TV's most famous time traveller. Wenger, head of drama at BBC Wales, said: "We believe the actor is going to bring something very special to the role and will make it absolutely their own. "I just can't wait to tell everyone who it is - it has been a nail-biting Christmas trying to keep this under wraps!" Shortly after Tennant's announcement, bookmakers were tipping several well-known names as the next actor (or actress) to step into the Tardis. Murphy's Law and Cold Feet star James Nesbitt emerged as one of the favourites, along with Paterson Joseph, John Simm and David Morrissey - who appeared in the 2008 Christmas special. Paterson Joseph, who recently starred in Survivors and appeared in two Doctor Who episodes in 2005, has said "any actor would love the challenge" of playing the Time Lord. Bookmakers made him an early favourite - offering odds of 3-1 on him becoming the first black Doctor.

Comedian Jennifer Saunders, former Doctor Who assistant Billie Piper and film star Catherine Zeta Jones have also been mentioned in connection with the role. The show's outgoing executive producer Russell T Davies said last month: "Whoever becomes the Doctor has got to take on a whole life. It's not just becoming a part of a TV show." In October, when Tennant was asked who he thought should replace him, he joked: "Well, I've always been a big supporter of Wee Jimmy Krankie!" Doctor Who began in 1963, and seven actors played the Doctor before the show was dropped in 1989. After a TV movie in 1996 - starring Paul McGann - the TV series returned in 2005 with Christopher Eccleston in the lead role. Tennant took over the role the same year. THE 10 DOCTORS Re: Eleventh Doctor by Blowfeld » Sat Jan 03, 2009 6:20 pm 26-year-old actor Matt Smith has been cast as the Eleventh Doctor, as revealed in today's special broadcast of Doctor Who Confidential on BBC One.

Smith will succeed David Tennant in the role for the fifth series, which begins filming this summer and will air in 2010. Smith has appeared in various television productions, including alongside Billie Piper in the BBC's adaptations of the Philip Pullman novels The Ruby in the Smoke and The Shadow in the North. He co-starred in the drama series Party Animals, and on stage was in Alan Bennett's acclaimed play The History Boys. Smith was born and bred in Northampton, England, and later attended the University of East Anglia in Norwich. He is the youngest actor ever to have been cast as the Doctor in the TV series. BBC News quotes Smith as saying: "I've got this wonderful journey in front of me where I've got this six months to build this Time Lord - and that's such an exciting prospect." Executive producer Piers Wenger has said that: "It was abundantly clear that he had that 'Doctor-ness' about him. You are either the Doctor or you are not." The last quote caught my attention. 'It was abundantly clear that he had that 'Doctor-ness' about him. You are either the Doctor or you are not.' I agree without reservation.

All I will add is the same used to be said about 007. "Those were the days when we still associated Bond with suave, old school actors such as Sean Connery and Roger Moore," "Daniel didn't have a hint of suave about him," - Patsy Palmer by CaptainLewis » Sat Jan 03, 2009 7:10 pm New Doctor actor is youngest ever Matt Smith takes over from David Tennant Matt Smith has been named as the actor who will take over from David Tennant in Doctor Who - making him the youngest actor to take on the role. At 26, Smith is three years younger than Peter Davison when he signed up to play the fifth Doctor in 1981. Smith will first appear on TV screens as the 11th Doctor in 2010. He was cast over Christmas and will begin filming for the fifth series of Doctor Who in the summer. Tennant is filming four specials in 2009. Smith was named as Tennant's replacement in Saturday's edition of Doctor Who Confidential on BBC One.

He said: "I feel proud and honoured to have been given this opportunity to join a team of people that has worked so tirelessly to make the show so thrilling. "David Tennant has made the role his own, brilliantly, with grace, talent and persistent dedication. I hope to learn from the standards set by him. "The challenge for me is to do justice to the show's illustrious past, my predecessors, and most importantly, to those who watch it. I really cannot wait." Piers Wenger, head of drama at BBC Wales, said that as soon as he had seen Smith's audition he "knew he was the one". The 11 Doctors Joined: Sun Feb 11, 2007 7:15 pm Location: The Duck Inn Favorite Bond Movie: The Spy Who Loved Me Favorite Movies: Amicus compendium horror films It's a Gift A Night At The Opera The Return of the Pink Panther Sons of the Desert Re: Eleventh Doctor by Blowfeld » Mon Jan 05, 2009 5:20 am I watched Confidential three times. I'm not entirely sure of Matt.

He is a nice enough young kid and may have the Doctor-ish mannerisms to make a good Doctor. Steven Moffat certainly know his stuff and he think this is the direction to go. However on the special Matt was frigidity and nervous. Good reason too. The last moment of the special closing on Matt's face after running through all of the Doctors seemed a bad choice. One he is not in costume and two the angle made him look a bit offish. Maybe it is the eyebrows. Shouldn't be a problem he has 6 months to grow a pair. "Those were the days when we still associated Bond with suave, old school actors such as Sean Connery and Roger Moore," "Daniel didn't have a hint of suave about him," - Patsy Palmer by CaptainLewis » Wed Jan 07, 2009 8:25 pm BBC denies 'Who' betting irregularities The BBC has denied knowing anything about an alleged coup to win money from betting on the identity of the 11th Doctor.

Bookmaker Paddy Power slashed its odds on Matt Smith being named the new Time Lord from 33-1 to 10-1 ahead of Saturday's announcement, suggesting that the 26-year-old's casting was known by some in advance. Paddy Power's Darren Haines told PA: "For such an unknown name as Matt Smith to go from 33-1 to 10-1 suggests there were obviously people who did know. "However it wasn't widespread, so it wasn't enough to set our alarm bells ringing, otherwise he would have crashed in as favourite." While bets were still being placed on David Morrissey, Paterson Joseph and James Nesbitt, Haines added that money wagered on Smith was "enough to suggest there were people out there who knew, but I certainly wouldn't describe it as a betting coup". A spokeswoman for the BBC said: "The BBC has no knowledge of anyone betting on the outcome of the identity of the 11th Doctor." Smith will begin his tenure as The Doctor in 2010, taking over from David Tennant.

by CaptainLewis » Fri Feb 06, 2009 8:37 pm Matt Smith 'was not a Who fan' Matt Smith has admitted that he was not a big fan of Doctor Who before winning the part of the eleventh Doctor. In an interview with Doctor Who Magazine, the actor said that he did not think he had much chance of being chosen by show producers. Smith said: "I wasn't a Who fan. I have to be honest - I can't claim to have watched the show in its entirety or have been a follower as avidly as some people are. That's what I'm realising - that people love this show, people are avid, avid fans of it, and know it, and know its history and are part of it. "I can't claim to know it as well as that, but I'm going to make it my business to do so, and fall into it in as much depth as I possibly can." He added that he originally feared his audition was over-energised and "too manic" to give him the opportunity of replacing David Tennant.

by CaptainLewis » Sun Feb 08, 2009 8:21 pm Early fan mail for new Doctor Who New Doctor Who Matt Smith says he has received fan mail even before shooting any scenes for the new series. The actor, in his first interview since landing the part, told Doctor Who magazine he would "try to respond to all of them". Smith, 26, added that he goes "largely unnoticed" at present, adding: "I am enjoying my anonymity." The youngest actor to take the role was unveiled last month, and will star in the new series in 2010. Smith, who was in Brazil when the announcement was made, said that he would make his Doctor "as varied, brilliant, dark, unpredictable and happy and sad as I can". "I'm really going to work my socks off in the next few years and do my best to enjoy it as much as I can," he added. The actor, who will become the 11th Time Lord, revealed that he hopes he will have a say in his new costume - and hinted at the attire of past Doctor Tom Baker.

"I'm a big fan of long coats and rather dashing scarves in everyday life, so who knows?" Smith, whose previous credits include Ruby In The Smoke and Secret Diary of a Call Girl, is promising to get to the heart of his new role and its long history. "I'm going to make it my business to do so, and fall into it with as much depth as I possibly can." The Northampton-born actor also said that he was already immersed in his new part. "There's Sherlock Holmes, James Bond and Doctor Who. It has resonance in our cultural fabric." He also revealed that he has already read two "inventive and funny" scripts for the fifth series, written by Steven Moffat, and is "desperate to read more". "They rocket along. He's going to talk me through the whole series, what happens and stuff. It's so exciting," added Smith. The new series starring Smith is expected to run in spring 2010. His predecessor David Tennant will appear in four special episodes, the last of which is scheduled to screen early next year. Doctor Who began in 1963, and seven actors played the Doctor before the show was dropped in 1989.

After a TV movie in 1996 - starring Paul McGann - the TV series returned in 2005 with Christopher Eccleston in the lead role. Tennant took over the same year. by CaptainLewis » Tue Feb 10, 2009 2:23 pm Noel Clarke talks about Dr Who Noel was a popular member of Dr Who playing Billie Piper's boyfriend Mickey Smith and he admits his next project is in the same genre. He said: "I've written a sci-fi film that has a production deal and is very close. The script is going out to actors." Noel Clarke is Mickey Smith and Billie Piper's boyfriend in Dr Who But he says he doesn't expect it to be similar to Dr Who. "I wrote it a while ago but it's not going to take elements of Dr Who," he said. "It's going be my own thing, my own idea. I'm quite excited by it and hopefully all the Dr Who fans will come and support that." As for the new Doctor, Matt Smith, Noel's backing him all the way: "I don't know Matt Smith but I am very, very happy that he's the Doctor," he said.

"There was a lot of speculation about who, what and why and out of nowhere Matt Smith came along. "I've got to tell you I jumped up in the air. I was that happy. "He's done a fair few acting jobs but he doesn't have baggage and he looks the part and is going to be fantastic. "Dr Who fans, I'm supporting him all the way." For the rest of the interview it is on: ... 818674.stm by CaptainLewis » Wed Feb 11, 2009 9:30 pm 'Who' star to earn £1m in five-year deal Matt Smith will reportedly receive £1 million from the BBC when he takes over as the next Time Lord in Doctor Who. The actor will be paid an annual salary of £200,000 by the corporation for three years, with the option to extend the contract by a further two, according to The Sun. Producers on the sci-fi show are reportedly keen to ensure that the star stays for as long as possible. David Tennant quit the show after three years while Christopher Eccleston stayed for just one series.

"Bosses don’t want Matt doing a David and leaving when things are going great," a source told the newspaper. The BBC declined to comment on Smith's contract, but said: "All new deals are done with the economic climate in mind." Tennant is thought to have earned around £1 million a year for the role by CaptainLewis » Mon Mar 02, 2009 12:00 pm Tardis 'to get a full redesign' The Tardis will undergo a full redesign when Matt Smith joins the cast as the eleventh Doctor in 2010, it has been claimed. Producers will radically refit the inside of the time-travelling police box and will also enhance the quality of the exterior, The Mirror reports. A source said: "It will be the most hi-tech, intricate Tardis ever." Incoming head writer Stephen Moffat is reportedly interested in making sure the Tardis looks good in high definition. He is also said to be attempting to distance himself from outgoing executive producer Russell T. Davies, and to herald a new era of the show.

Davies has previously admitted that a move to high definition would require the reconstruction of the Tardis to prevent its "flaws" showing on screen. by CaptainLewis » Sat May 02, 2009 2:19 pm McCoy praises new Doctor Matt Smith Sylvester McCoy has backed the decision to recruit Matt Smith as David Tennant's successor in Doctor Who. The 65-year-old actor, who appeared as the Seventh Doctor from 1987 to 1989, told the Liverpool Daily Post that he is eager for Smith to "put his own slant" on the role. "I think that's very important for all Doctors - Chris Eccleston had his wonderful take on it, and David Tennant," McCoy explained. "I'm looking forward to this new guy, he's got a great face. I don't know him at all but he looks quirky and interesting." Smith, 26, was confirmed as the new Doctor in January, two months after Tennant announced his decision to quit. He is expected to make his debut in the part in 2010.

Question: Which Northampton-born actor will replace David Tennant as the eleventh 'Dr. Who', in 2010?
Answer: MATT SMITH